in association with
the Intercultural Research Centre at Heriot-Watt University
&
the Scottish Geodiversity Forum
at
Wiston Lodge near Biggar
Friday 14 – Sunday 16 June 2019Expressing the Earth in the Year of Indigenous Languages

Call for Proposals

After the success of our 2017 Geopoetics Conference in Argyll we are seeking proposals for workshops, talks and performances at our next Residential Conference 2019 from Friday 14 – Sunday 16 June 2019 at Wiston Lodge near Biggar. The theme will be Expressing the Earth in the Year of Indigenous Languages e.g. with reference to rivers, forests and hills. The deadline for proposals to be sent to me is 31 January 2019.

Wiston Lodge is situated in old woods near Tinto Hill and outdoor workshops would be especially suited here as well as indoor talks, discussions and performances of poetry, prose and music.

Workshop proposals from those who wish to take forward workshops they provided in 2017 would be very welcome. There will be more time in the 2019 programme for undertaking creative work emerging from the workshops.

Unfortunately we can’t pay performers, speakers or workshop leaders but we have kept the conference costs to a minimum.

The conference starts at 11am on Friday 14 June 2019 and ends at 16.00 on Sunday 16 June. The £135 cost includes all conference sessions, 2 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 evening meals and 2 nights’ shared accommodation. Camping is also possible. Full details to follow.

The Intercultural Research Centre (IRC) addresses key intercultural issues arising from the changing global context. It makes original contributions to the study of interculturality with particular reference to dimensions of living culture in European societies. The Centre’s particular focus is on comparative work emphasising the applied dimensions of culture, with “culture” defined broadly in anthropological terms.

The Scottish Geodiversity Forum is a small but active organisation dedicated to promoting Scotland’s geology and its influence on all aspects of Scotland’s culture, environment and landscape. We have published Scotland’s Geodiversity Charter which has attracted wide support across Scotland, and supported projects such as multi-disciplinary sailing voyages in the Hebrides celebrated the rich legacy of Hugh Miller, The 51 Best Places to see Scotland’s Geology and the two Hugh Miller Writing Competitions (read the winning entries here).
We are delighted to support this conference, and look forward to exploring the interplay of geological and human activity that has created today’s Scotland in all it’s diversity and complexity and the ways that this can be expressed and celebrated.
Angus Miller, Chair, Scottish Geodiversity Forum.

Tinto Hill from Wiston Lodge

Advance booking: to book your place send a cheque for £20 made out to Scottish Centre for Geopoetics to David Francis 214 Portobello High Street Edinburgh EH15 2AU. Bookings made before 31 January 2019 will receive a discount on the total cost.

Stravaig#7 Call for Essays, Poems, Images and Artwork on the theme Living on the Edge e.g. coastlines, islands, the sea.
Deadline Thursday 31 January 2019.

Living on the Edge

We received more essays, poems and images than ever before for Stravaig#6 on the theme Expressing the Earth. You can read those selected here. We decided to hold over some of the work submitted and if we notified you of this you do not need to submit it again.

As well as being available on our website, Stravaig#7 will be printed in a limited edition free to contributors, members of the Scottish Centre for Geopoetics and attendees at future geopoetics events.

Essays must be under 4,000 words attached as a separate Word document. Up to 6 images (jpegs only) to accompany them are very welcome.

Up to 4 poems attached as a separate Word document (4 pages maximum) may be submitted.

Up to 4 images and artwork (4 pages maximum) should be submitted as jpeg attachments.

We regret that submissions that do not adhere to these rules cannot be considered.

Saturday 30 November 2018 at 19.30
The folk oratorio ‘Rivers of our Being’ will have its world premiere at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh. This is the only performance and a unique opportunity to experience research-by-practice output from the H2020-funded CoHERE project that the Intercultural Research Centre at Heriot-Watt University has been involved in.

Taking inspiration from the rivers of Europe, the piece invites audiences to take a unique auditory journey across different European cultural heritages with composer Prof. Valdis Muktupavels, performed by students of the Music Section, Newcastle University and conducted by Dr Simon McKerrell, with guest musicians John Kenny (trombone), Helen Beauchamp (Cello), Imogen Bose-Ward (Fiddle) and soloists Prof. Ruta Muktupavela and Naomi Harvey.
Book tickets here.

Saturday 29 December 2018 at 7.30 pm Mairi Campbell: Auld Lang Syne at Dunoon Burgh Hall.
Mairi’s adventures with Scotland’s most famous song, a theatre show with live music, animation and movement that follows on from her 5 star reviewed show Pulse.

“Scotland (and beyond) needs more of this tone, reflection & imagination. Our conventional ways of thinking & organising our societies are broken. This beautiful essay by Mairi McFadyen looks at what it is to be human, geopoetics & the need for radical hope.” Gerry Hassan.

“Some ideas take their time to travel from the margins to the centre – the urgency of the times pulls them in, newly making them relevant. Such it is with the concept of geopoetics … What is interesting about geopoetics in 2018 is the way it’s being taken up by a group of young scholars, artists & activists in Scotland, who want to use geopoetics (and Kenneth White’s work) as a way to frame and name their agency, facing hyper-capitalism and climate crisis.” The Alternative UK.

“What an intellectually thrilling text from Mairi McFadyen—this generation’s take on Ken White’s geopoetics, in the anthropocene age (& our deep adaptation to it).” Pat Kane.

A lively and interesting day was had by all. Many thanks to everyone who took part and contributed to making this another very successful Geopoetics Day.

Stravaiging the Water of Leith to South Leith for talks, discussion and a ceilidh

New and renewing members are always welcome. By joining us you will support the development of geopoetics. You will also receive a free copy of Grounding a World: Essays on the Work of Kenneth White rrp £9.95.